The “Extraordinary Conference of the State-Parties to the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe” (CFE) can become a textbook case of Russian bluster, threats, and trade-offs proffered at third parties’ expense, all followed by retreat when faced with a united NATO position. Held on June... MORE

Russia’s economic performance cannot fail to impress even the most skeptical experts. The sustained growth that a year ago showed signs of slackening actually accelerated in the last quarter of 2006 to 7.8% and to 7.9% in the first quarter of this year and is... MORE

As the political scandal around Nurbank takes new twists, it is becoming evident that Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev is trying to use this highly embarrassing criminal case involving his runaway son-in-law, Rakhat Aliev, to score political points. Aliev is under investigation for shady financial practices... MORE

Oil-rich Kazakhstan is taking a new look at its Soviet-era space facility at Baikonur, reconsidering Russian use of the facility as well as evaluating ways to develop it as an increased source of profits for the government. Environmental concerns have become increasingly important to the... MORE

Security concerns in the North Caucasus traditionally peak in the summer. Warm weather and green leaves on trees help the Caucasian rebels intensify their attacks on Russian army units and local police forces. Every summer and fall Russian security officials try to guess where the... MORE

As anticipated (see EDM, May 25), the unlawful presence of Russian troops in Moldova became the decisive issue at the emergency conference of state parties to the Treaty on Conventional forces in Europe (CFE), underway in Vienna June 11-15. That issue is not only the... MORE

A speech by Adrian Severin, special rapporteur, to the 5th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) of the UN General Assembly in Geneva on the worsening human rights situation in Belarus in 2006 has caused fury in Minsk. Belarus's permanent representative at the UN,... MORE

With two months left before the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) annual summit in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, the Kyrgyz government is experiencing increasing pressure from Russia and the United States regarding the U.S. military base at Manas airport. In the past 10 days U.S. Secretary... MORE

In a wide-ranging news conference during the Economic Forum just held in St. Petersburg (Interfax, June 10), Transneft president Semyon Vainshtok outlined the state pipeline monopoly’s ambitious plans for internal and external expansion. Transneft, monopolist for crude oil pipelines, is swallowing up the smaller Transnefteprodukt,... MORE